Not surprisingly, many moms are convinced that their baby knows them at birth. They're probably right. Babies use many of their senses to get to know their moms while they’re still in the womb.

And these senses are powerful. Babies take in information through all of them, and then use that information to communicate with you.

Here’s how your baby takes in information, communicates, and relates:

• When she’s just 1 week old, your baby can pick out your voice from the voices of other women. (Newborns seem to respond more to the higher-pitched voices of their moms and other women than to the lower-pitched voices of their fathers and other men.)

• Even in the early weeks of their lives, babies behave differently with the different people they relate to — mom, dad, and others. In all of these situations, your baby is attaching and bonding. She’s learning that she’s a separate person and that she helps shape her relationships with others.

This early communication is the basis on which thinking and feeling will later develop.

It may appear that your baby is passive — eating, sleeping, and waiting for you to do things for her. But it’s closer to the truth to say your baby is a little initiator:

• She’s always seeking ways to adapt to the world outside the womb. (For example, sleeping is one way she learns to organize her life: When she’s tired, she turns off the environment, conserving energy to grow.)

• She’s always giving you signals. By watching her closely, you’ll learn how much or little stimulation she can handle, and when she’s ready for talking, feeding, singing, or playing. For instance, “I’m happy and ready to play” signals include open eyes, relaxed arms and legs, and maybe even a tight, playful grip around your finger.

• If she’s played with, talked to, or fed too much, she may grimace, turn and look away, clench her fists, and wriggle or spit up. These messages say, "Slow down, please. I need more peace and quiet."

Fortunately, by the time your baby is 6 to 12 weeks old, she'll probably be sleeping for longer stretches of the night. If she's not, you may have to help her learn to fall back to sleep on her own. Here are a few tricks you can try:

• Put her in her crib, instead of rocking or holding her.

• Wait until she’s groggy, but still awake; then lay her in her crib, say "good night," turn off the light, and leave the room.

• If she cries, wait a few minutes before returning.

• If she continues to cry, go back in the room (leaving the light off), rub her, and talk to her in a soothing voice. When she quiets down, say "good night" and leave the room again.

• If she begins to cry again, repeat this pattern until she falls asleep.

It may take a few days, but she'll get the hang of it. Establishing this skill when your baby is still young will help prevent bedtime battles later.

Some babies are very sensitive not just to the environment, but to food as well. Some babies may be sensitive to milk protein itself. These babies may experience a wide range of reactions, including:

• Skin rashes

• Blood and/or mucus in the stool

• Diarrhea

• Excessive spit up or vomiting

If these reactions are due to milk sensitivity, your health care provider may recommend a soy protein formula such as Similac® Isomil® Advance® Soy Formula, or a hypoallergenic formula such as Similac® Alimentum®. Trust your health care professional's advice about infant formulas: He or she is best able to determine whether your baby should be fed a special formula.